Christmas meme.

Superficial question: What are your favorite things at Christmas, and that kind of stuff?

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I get to go first! (I invented it.)

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1) What"s your favorite Christmas music - you can only name 3 different genre, style, songs, what have you:

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*Motown, Beach Boys, and Renaissance Christmas.

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2) Favorite Christmas Carol:

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*Angels we have heard, or whatever that title is.

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3) Favorite Christmas movie:

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*"Christmas Vacation" - what else!

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4) What makes you cry at Christmas?

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* Beautiful Italian Bambinos, and old people and young men or women kneeling and praying before the creche - oh, and little kids and babies at Mass - even if they are misbehaving, loud, crying or commanding attention.

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5) Do you have a real tree or an artificial tree?

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*Both.

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6) What is your favorite type of decoration?

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*Old World European traditional.

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6) What is your favorite Christmas Eve food?

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*Bacala - Italian breaded and fried cod. Angel hair pasta sauteed in olive oil with garlic, anchovies, and pine nuts - served with greens, while popping lupine, and stuffing down Italian bread.

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7) Favorite style of creche?

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*Authentic Neapolitan - I just cannot afford it. Once I had an antique shepherd which I sold in order to get money to pay medical bills - and that was when I had insurance.

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(8) Do you believe in Santa?

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*YES! He is St. Nicholas and is in disguise in modern times because of creepy people who can't tolerate any mention of saints. - some guy named Luther f-ed that up for kids.

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(9) Do you go to Church Christmas Eve or Christmas morning? And the same question can be applied to when you open gifts.

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* I once went to church on both days, now I usually go to the earliest Mass on Christmas morning.

* When I did gifts, it was always after Mass on Christmas Eve.

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10) What do you think of commercial Christmas?

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* Thanks for asking. First off - many people today would never even know it was Christmas without the ads, the movies, the programs on TV, despite the fact that most of the people who work in these industries turn to alcohol to cope - while feeling more holiday-ish, even though they are on thee verge of a nervous breakdown from constant replay of bad Christmas music and mandated "Happy Holidays!" while uttering "Bitch" under their breath. Yep - and then, thank God that even with pagans and secularists, they too keep the Christmas spirit alive for many. many people. Though they bitch about the holiday and public displays, even the biggest air-head on the planet has to wonder what all the fuss is about - and wow! They investigate the matter and realize that Christmas is really all about the birth of Christ. So yeah. I like commercial Christmas. No one does it like NYC either.

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11) What is your favorite Christmas memory? (This has been asked in other meme but for me it can change from moment to moment... So don't ask again.)

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*When I was in high school and visited my friend's houses on Christmas Eve - I made the trip after my family was safely passed out, and my little brother was asleep. All of my friends were Italian and we would go to midnight Mass and return to one of their houses - usually Linda's. This is how I found out about my favorite foods, and we got to drink home-made vino, and we listened to Dean Martin and Frank Sinatra. Then we went downstairs with our own bottle of wine and listened to Motown, the Beach Boys, and believe it or not, more Dean Martin and Sinatra when Linda's dad came down to drink with us.

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12) When do you consider the holidays are over? (Take down decorations and stuff?)

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* Easy - the day after 12th Night, or Epiphany (not liturgical Epiphany).

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That is it folks - my own meme. Do it if you are so inclined. Does ANYONE ever read this blog? Whatever. Happy Christmas!